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The Nation - Shan chief seeks shelt



Subject: The Nation - Shan chief seeks shelter for refugees

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The Nation - Dec 11, 1999.
Headlines=20

Shan chief seeks shelter for refugees

LOI TAILANG, Burma -- The military leader of ethnic Shan rebels in Burma =
has urged Thailand and the international community to set up refugee =
camps along the Thai-Burma border to shelter tens of thousands of Shan =
refugees who have been displaced by a Burmese military offensive.=20

Col Yawd Serk told of the plight of the refugees to a group of Thai and =
foreign journalists on Wednesday, the first day of the Shan new year.=20

Yawd Serk, leader of the Shan State Army (SSA), said he had pleaded with =
the Thai authorities on several occasions to set up camps for the ethnic =
Shan people who have been forced out of their villages and are currently =
living in desperate conditions along the border.=20

The Thai government and the United Nations High Commissioner for =
Refugees (UNHCR), however, have been tightlipped over the matter.=20

But official sources said the issue is being discussed quietly among the =
relevant government agencies and the UN.=20

International human rights organisations said several hundreds of =
thousands of Shan people have been displaced from their villages within =
Shan state under a campaign launched by the State Peace and Development =
Council, the Burmese military government's highest decision-making body, =
to place them in areas under their control.=20

SSA secretary-general Turn Zang said the programme is aimed at depriving =
the SSA and other armed rebel groups the support they usually receive =
from the villagers.=20

He said ethnic Shan people are living along the Thai-Burmese border, =
while others are taking refuge in the SSA camps, also along the border =
area.=20

''They are a burden to our troops but we cannot turn our backs on =
them,'' said Turn Zang, pointing to scores of Shan people who arrived at =
this camp just a few days ago.=20

''Some have come from as far as the Salaween River,'' Turn Zang said.=20

Yawd Serk accused the Rangoon government of trying to ''Burmanise'' all =
ethnic groups by systematically breaking up their homes and families.=20

Once the Thai government officially recognises the presence of the Shan =
refugees along the border, it is hoped that the refugees can have access =
to relief aid as well as education, Turn Zang said.=20

Unlike the Shans, over 100,000 ethnic Karens and Karennis refugees are =
currently living along the border camps assisted by foreign aid workers. =


Aung Mart, chairman of the newly-created Restoration Council of Shan =
State, of which SSA is a part, said more diplomatic offensive was needed =
in order to obtain the much needed foreign aid for the displaced Shan =
people.=20

Aung Mart had recently abandoned his executive post at the Shan National =
League for Democracy in Rangoon and fled to the jungle to join the SSA, =
believing that he could contribute to the cause of the Shan people.=20

The SSA was once a faction within the now defunct Mong Tai Army, which =
was headed by opium warlord Khun Sa.=20

In January 1996, Khun Sa surrendered to the Burmese government in return =
for amnesty but Yawd Serk and his men continued the fight for complete =
independence from Burmese rule.=20

Although Yawd Serk has declared war on drugs, and launched a campaign to =
make the area under his control drug-free, the stigma of the old days =
still remains.=20

BY DON PATHAN=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT face=3Darial,Times size=3D2>The Nation - =
Dec 11,=20
1999.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+1><STRONG>Headlines</STRONG></FONT> <FONT =
face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+2></DIV>
<P>
<H2><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D4>Shan chief seeks shelter for=20
refugees</FONT></H2></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+.5>
<P>
<P>LOI TAILANG, Burma -- The military leader of ethnic Shan rebels in =
Burma has=20
urged Thailand and the international community to set up refugee camps =
along the=20
Thai-Burma border to shelter tens of thousands of Shan refugees who have =
been=20
displaced by a Burmese military offensive.=20
<P>Col Yawd Serk told of the plight of the refugees to a group of Thai =
and=20
foreign journalists on Wednesday, the first day of the Shan new year.=20
<P>Yawd Serk, leader of the Shan State Army (SSA), said he had pleaded =
with the=20
Thai authorities on several occasions to set up camps for the ethnic =
Shan people=20
who have been forced out of their villages and are currently living in =
desperate=20
conditions along the border.=20
<P>The Thai government and the United Nations High Commissioner for =
Refugees=20
(UNHCR), however, have been tightlipped over the matter.=20
<P>But official sources said the issue is being discussed quietly among =
the=20
relevant government agencies and the UN.=20
<P>International human rights organisations said several hundreds of =
thousands=20
of Shan people have been displaced from their villages within Shan state =
under a=20
campaign launched by the State Peace and Development Council, the =
Burmese=20
military government's highest decision-making body, to place them in =
areas under=20
their control.=20
<P>SSA secretary-general Turn Zang said the programme is aimed at =
depriving the=20
SSA and other armed rebel groups the support they usually receive from =
the=20
villagers.=20
<P>He said ethnic Shan people are living along the Thai-Burmese border, =
while=20
others are taking refuge in the SSA camps, also along the border area.=20
<P>''They are a burden to our troops but we cannot turn our backs on =
them,''=20
said Turn Zang, pointing to scores of Shan people who arrived at this =
camp just=20
a few days ago.=20
<P>''Some have come from as far as the Salaween River,'' Turn Zang said. =

<P>Yawd Serk accused the Rangoon government of trying to ''Burmanise'' =
all=20
ethnic groups by systematically breaking up their homes and families.=20
<P>Once the Thai government officially recognises the presence of the =
Shan=20
refugees along the border, it is hoped that the refugees can have access =
to=20
relief aid as well as education, Turn Zang said.=20
<P>Unlike the Shans, over 100,000 ethnic Karens and Karennis refugees =
are=20
currently living along the border camps assisted by foreign aid workers. =

<P>Aung Mart, chairman of the newly-created Restoration Council of Shan =
State,=20
of which SSA is a part, said more diplomatic offensive was needed in =
order to=20
obtain the much needed foreign aid for the displaced Shan people.=20
<P>Aung Mart had recently abandoned his executive post at the Shan =
National=20
League for Democracy in Rangoon and fled to the jungle to join the SSA,=20
believing that he could contribute to the cause of the Shan people.=20
<P>The SSA was once a faction within the now defunct Mong Tai Army, =
which was=20
headed by opium warlord Khun Sa.=20
<P>In January 1996, Khun Sa surrendered to the Burmese government in =
return for=20
amnesty but Yawd Serk and his men continued the fight for complete =
independence=20
from Burmese rule.=20
<P>Although Yawd Serk has declared war on drugs, and launched a campaign =
to make=20
the area under his control drug-free, the stigma of the old days still =
remains.=20
<P>BY DON PATHAN=20
<P>The Nation</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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